After a wonderful and successful season, it is summer break for the VOC handball women. Yet they are already looking at the new season with a slanted eye at the national champion from Amsterdam-Noord. Where VOC hopes to defend the title and chooses not to go into Europe. “I think that’s a shame,” trainer Rachel de Haze told NH Sport.
“I just gave birth to a daughter,” says Rachel de Haze. So it’s a good thing that handball has stopped for a while for the brand new mother. “It is going well, but it is of course very intensive. Everything is all about her and it is our first child.”
Changes
It is not so long ago that De Haze celebrated the championship exuberantly with her players. In sports hall Elzenhagen, VOC defeated its big rival Venlo in the final of the play-offs. The champagne has now dried up and a lot has changed. “Seven players from our first team have left for various reasons. Social careers that some girls want to pay more attention to and a few girls have also left abroad to take the next step in handball.”
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Jill Kooij after winning the eighth national title with VOC Amsterdam – NH News
For example, captain Jill Kooij will no longer be present next season. The combination of top sport and full-time work is too big a task for the 27-year-old handball player from Oostzaan. “Very unfortunate for us”, De Haze indicates her feeling about the departure of her extension in the field. “She was a player who always went for the win and had a lot of experience.”
“It just costs a lot of money and we prefer to spend that on our selection”
Europe
As champion of the Netherlands, VOC is allowed to enter Europe, but the handball pride from Amsterdam-Noord will not do it. “As it stands now, we don’t do it. It just costs a lot of money and we prefer to spend that on our selection. Too bad, of course, but on the other hand, the chance that you will get far is just very small.”
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Where many players leave, De Haze also gets four new acquisitions. For example, Naomi Gooyers comes over from SEW, youth international Alieke van Maurik makes the step from Quintus to Amsterdam. Furthermore, the retired Tess van Buuren returns after a pregnancy and the 15-year-old Sophie Exterkate also joins the selection of De Haze.
Goals
“At the moment it is difficult to set concrete goals for next season, but I think we should compete for the prizes. We just have a completely different team than last season. I see it as a great challenge to to build a strong VOC.”
The first training is scheduled for July 31 and we will play the first competition match in the first weekend of September. “So we don’t have a very long preparation,” says de Haze about the upcoming time.
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